Thill-coupling



J; A. KNB'EDLER.

THILL COUPLING;

Patented July'fi, 1886.

(NoModeL) I 0,,,,,,////////////% E 0 [U B W B -X ATTORNEYS therefrom in order to detach the thills.

Uafrrnn STATES PATENT Grrrcn.

JOHN A. KNEEDLER, or GRANT, PENNSYLVANIA.

THlLL- COUPLING.

EPEQIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 34.5,148, dated July 6, 1886.

App'i eatin 1 file l ()ctaaer EH, 1385.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be itknown that I, JOHN A. KNELDLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grant, in the county of Indiana and State of Pennsyl Vania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thill-Couplings; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Fignrel of the drawings is a representation of this invention, and is a vertical sect-ion. Fig. 2 is a bottom view. Fig. 3 is a top view of the clip with the bolt in place. Fig. 4 is a view of the under side of the thiltiron. Fig. 5 is a side view of the same.

My invention relates to thill-couplings; and it consists in the construction and novel an rangement of parts, as will be hereinafter set forth, and pointed out in the claim.

Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, Adesignates one of the front axleclips, which is secured in place in the usual manner, and B O designate the integral lugs extending horizontally forward therefrom. These lugs B G are provided with the usual eyes, in which is rigidly seated the couplingbolt D, which in this instance is not intended to turn in its seat, nor is it to be removed At the middle of its length and communicating at the upper horizontal longitudinal middle line} of said bolt D is a slightlyelongated notch or depression, E, the ends of which incline inwardly toward the bottom of the notch, and the bottom F inclines from above downwardly and rearwardly or toward the axleclip. The thill-iron H is open from end to end at I, in what may be properly termed its lower side, and the rear wall of this elongated opening I is provided with a log or inwardly-projecting wart, K, at the middle of its length, which wart K can be inserted or entered into the notch E when the points of the thills are at an angle that will permit them to rest upon the floor or upon level ground.

Serial No.180,833. (No mndrl.

The thills may also be detached from the ve- 5o hicle when at the angle above described, as the notch E and the wart or lug K are then impositiontopermittheirdetachment. Vhen, however, the ends of the thills are raised or lifted even slightly above this angle, the wart moves down out of the notch E, and the thills cannot then be detached, as the bolt D then subserves the purpose of a solid round bolt. It will be therefore observed that the thills may be attached and detached without removing the secnring'bolts; and, also, that the securing-bolts, being rigidly and permanently fastened to place in the lugs, will not rattle loose nor drop out, so that any accidental detachment of the thills themselves is improbable.

I am aware of the patent granted to W. H. Ourtiss, November 24, 1868, No. 84,265, in which the thill'ironis contracted at its month by means of a lug adapted to engage a recess in a bolt of the axle-clip and a recess to receive a strip of leather or the like. The recess of the bolt in this patent is perfectly square and the lug has angular corners. A very objectionableteaturein the above-named 75 patent is that, the lug being in the forward wall of the mouth of the thill-iron and the recess in the upper side of the bolt, the thills must be raised and tilted in the direction of the vehicle to effect the lock. A further ob- 8o jection lies in the fact that the iron, being recessed, should the leather become worn or lost the rattling and clumsy fitting of the parts would impair the usefulness of the whole device. By the construction I have shown and illustrated these objections are all obviated, and I attach importance to the fact that the lug is beveled and arranged'on the inner wall of the mouth of the thill-iron, and also that the recess is on the inner side of the bolt D. I do not, however, wish to be understood as claiming only the devices in the specific construction and combination hereinbefore pointed out.

Having described this invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

As an improvement in thin-couplings, the

stantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in [C presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. KNEEDLER.

Wi tn esses:

H.'H. JACOBS, WV. H. BAKER. 

